Perfect Present
by Natalia Vronsky
Summary: Post "Under Lock & Key". Just a little X-Mas gift to ya'll. Rogue/Gambit. r&r please!


Title: Perfect Present  
Author: Natalia Melissa Vronsky  
Rating: PG-15  
Summary: Evo. Verse. Post "Under Lock & Key". Just a little X-Mas gift to ya'll. Rogue/Gambit (as if I could write any other pairing).  
Note: I kinda rushed in the typing of this... and it was not beta'd. Please excuse my errors. :)  
Disclaimer: Marvel and The Kids WB make a whole lot of money off these characters and what-all... I make squat for my fic. Sadly.   
Archive: You have permission to archive my stuff, you needn't ask. If you don't have permission but wanna archive it, please just lemme know where it's headed.   
Feedback: Seeing as how this is my Christmas/ "holiday season" present to all the Rogue/Gambit shippers out there, feedback would be a very nice and might I add, inexpensive gift back to me. In other words... PLEASE?????  
  
Kurt wandered in and out of the small room joined to the med-lab that Rogue lay sleeping in. It amazed him every time he looked at her. She was his sister. True, not by blood... but they were tied to each other. No matter what, he knew he'd always be there for her... and she'd be there for him, despite the front of indifference she'd been putting up towards him. They were brother and sister and that meant so much to him.   
  
Rogue turned on her side, moaning a little in discomfort. She'd complained a few times since being stuck there... about how rough the bed was... how the sheets were to starchy against her sensitive skin.   
  
Smiling as an idea came to him, he ported out of the room.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue made a face when the smell of brimstone hit her nose. Kurt didn't seem to realize how bad that smelled. But, she was relieved that he'd decided to stop playing mother hen for the time being.   
  
It wasn't that she minded... really. She thought it was kind of sweet how he and Kitty'd been with her. She did feel a little more than grateful to him especially after his little "we're in this together" speech. She'd never felt like she'd belonged... like she was wanted. But, Kurt wanting to be her brother... it touched her deeply.   
  
She smiled a bit and sank deeper under the covers and let sleep claim her.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Professor Xavier, Hank, Scott, Jean, Bobby and Warren walked into the main hall of the mansion. Warren had decided to stay the night there instead of going back home. He'd made no promises about joining, but Bobby could see him weakening with each inquiry one of them made about him staying.   
  
Behind them entered Magneto and his Acolytes. Bobby felt just a tad uncomfortable around them. None of them had said a word since Professor Xavier asked them to return to the mansion with them. He'd told them they'd need to work together in order to fight the menace Mesmero was undoubtedly trying to release. They knew so little... they'd need to combine all their information and manpower.   
  
Professor Xavier quickly instructed Scott to round up the remaining X-Men and New Mutants. They'd al need to be informed about what was going on. Scot rushed out of the room.  
  
Bobby remained silent as the rest of them walked into the den. It was decorated for Christmas. The holiday was only one day away... and it would be ruined for everyone by the dark cloud of news Professor X would be giving them.   
  
Couldn't they wait? What could happen in one day? There was no way Mesmero could locate the other key in such a sort time, right?  
  
"Nice digs." St. John commented, bouncing up and down on the couch like a five year old ADHD sufferer.   
  
"I've seen better." Remy commented, leaning against the wall... looking for all the world like the rebel without a cause.   
  
Piotr had stood until Jean seated herself, then sat next to St. John... quite all the while.   
  
Soon all the others filed in, Scott leading the way. Everyone was there except Rogue. She was still in the med-lab. Kurt was holding a thick quilt in hands... and looked like he'd rather be somewhere else... probably in Rogue's room.   
  
It was funny for Bobby to think of the brotherly love Kurt was suddenly bestowing on Rogue. Before their relationship has consisted of bickering and Kurt trying to play pranks of Rogue.   
  
"Where's Rogue?" Jean asked, cuddling up to Scott once he sat down.   
  
"She was asleep." Kurt said quietly, looking down at the quilt in his hands.   
  
"It's alright, she'll be informed of this later. Rogue healing is more important that this." Professor X said firmly.   
  
"What's wrong wit' her?" Remy asked a little too interested.... a little too concerned.   
  
"Yeah, don't want the bird to be broken. Might make it right hard for you to have the hoots for her, eh, Rem?" St. John laughed. "Not like her powers don't make it..."   
  
He was cut off by Remy's fist rammed into his cheek. St. John feel off the sofa... laying in a heap very out for the count. Remy was about to continue with his damage until Magneto held a hand up.   
  
"That's quite enough." Remy quickly moved away from St. John.   
  
"Rogue went nuts." Tabitha said. "Well... her powers did anyway."  
  
"Tabitha." Scott said in a tone that made it known that they had more important things to discuss with Magneto and his lackeys than Rogue's well being.  
  
The X-Men and Acolytes remained quite while Professor Xavier and Magneto told them everything they knew about and what they were going to do to stop the threat Mesmero was looking to release.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The floor creaked loudly under a hundred and thirty pounds of pressure. Remy silently cursed his rotten luck. Earlier he was caught by Scott "have a stick rammed deeply up my ass" Summers. But, now he was much closer to his goal than before.   
  
He smiled triumphantly as he got into the small room off to the side of the med-lab. Rogue was curled into a tight little ball, fast asleep. He thanked his lucky stars that the fur-ball that claimed to be her brother, Kurt, wasn't there.   
  
She looked so sweet there. He'd felt a constant guilt for handing her that charged card. It wasn't personal. It was purely business. Maybe now that Magneto and Xavier were going to join forces... maybe he'd have a chance with her.   
  
If she laughed at him once he told her how bad he'd had it for her since that first day. Well, he'd get to apologize if nothing else.  
  
He pulled up a small chair to her bedside and took one of her tiny pale hands in his gloved one. Of course, he was probably insane. Hell, he'd joined up with Mags, hadn't he? Falling fast and hard for a girl he knew he couldn't touch... and probably hated him to boot, well, wasn't that a huge flashing neon sign that he'd lost?  
  
Remy was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even see Rogue's eyes had opened and she was looking at him curiosity.   
  
"What're you doin' here?" Remy jumped at the sound of her voice... his right leg caught on the chairs leg. Before he knew it, he fell hard on his back... the chair breaking into several large pieces that poked into his skin.   
  
"Heh." He smiled at her sheepishly when he sat up. "Bonjour, Petite. Good t'see you up."  
  
"You didn't answer my question." She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned a little. Remy's eyes were fixed on her chest for a good five seconds before he could look her in her eyes again. With her arms like that, added to the thin and low-cut shirt gave a very enticing view.   
  
"Uh..." He shook his head of the sinful thoughts he'd been thinking. "Jus' wanted t'check up on you. Heard 'bout what happened. Dat musta been though."  
  
"Ah've been through worse. No need ta worry that vacant little swamp rat head of yours over me." She snapped.   
  
"Tsk, tsk, Cherie." He crooned in a voice he knew melted women's hearts. "Remy was jus' worried 'bout his favorite little X-Girl, no need t'be testy wit' him." Remy frowned when Rogue started giggling like a school girl. "What?"  
  
"X-Girl." Came her reply between giggles. "That sounds like some sort of porn-o thing."  
  
"Remy thinks dat y'need t'get dat pretty little head of your out of de gutter." He grinned. Her smile was like the sunshine. It made her a hundred times prettier than she already was.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ororo stifled a yawn as she and Logan walked down the hallway to Charles' office. They had no luck in locating Mystique despite all of Logan's powers or the information Charles had gathered.   
  
She honestly wasn't sure why he wanted to find Mystique so desperately. She had caused her children so much heartache. Her being there would only cause them more.   
  
They passed the den on the way over and saw all the children gathered there. The Brotherhood and Magneto's Acolytes were also there.   
  
It was no surprise to either Ororo or Logan. They had been told what was happening before they went back home. Charles knew Logan well enough to give the man plenty of warning.   
  
Charles was waiting for them in his office when they entered. He offered them some hot apple cider. They both refused and started telling him everything about their search.   
  
Twenty minutes or so later, Kurt ported into the room... ranting incoherently.   
  
"Kurt, calm down." Ororo was at his side, trying to stop him so he could collect himself. "What on Earth is the matter?"  
  
"Rogue... I went in to take her a quilt." He waved around the said quilt in his hands.   
  
"And?" Logan grumbled, not one for suspense.   
  
"She was asleep and so was Gambit. They were touching, but, it looked like he was okay. I didn't know what to do, so I came here."  
  
By the time he was finished, Logan was already long gone... headed for the infirmary. Kurt quickly ported himself, Charles and Ororo to the med-lab.  
  
Sure enough, Rogue lay in her bed, a few playing cards underneath her cheek. Remy was hunched over in a chair, cards scattering the floor around him... his head resting on the same pillow as Rogue's.   
  
Their foreheads were touching. Just barely, but the contact was enough to normally trigger Rogue's powers.   
  
Ororo laid a hand on Remy's back and gently shook. He shot up, grabbing a handful of cards off the bed and charging them. When he saw who it was, it let the charge flow back into his body. "Dieu, y'shouldn' wake a homme like dat." He rubbed his hands over his eyes sleepily.  
  
"If he's all right..." Kurt's question faded on the tip of his tongue as Logan reached over and took Rogue's hand in his. Nothing happened.   
  
"Goddess. She couldn't have possibly burned up her powers, could she?"  
  
"No. That's impossible." Charles said calmly, but his eyes were alight with a mixture of curiosity and happiness. "Our powers are a part of us. They are not something that can be exhausted."  
  
"Then how?"  
  
"What?" Remy had been staring at Logan's hand on Rogue's. "What's goin' on. Why can he touch her?"  
  
"We do not know."  
  
Rogue suddenly jerked from Logan's grasp... tossing and turning from a nightmare. Remy laid his still gloved hand over her cheek. The others in the room were surprised to see that action calmed her considerably.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue was drowning. She would die and no one would care. "Oh god... someone help me!" She cried, only to swallow more water in doing so.   
  
Just when she thought there was no hope, a hand reached into the water and dragged her out of it.   
  
Remy.   
  
Not exactly the typical knight in shining armor. But, boy would he do very nicely. He would actually do better than some do-gooder pansy assed knight.   
  
He pulled her into his arms, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. God, she lo----  
  
Rogue snapped awake. A little too much reality in that dream for her comfort. Pfft. Imagine, feeling like she loved someone she didn't even really know. She'd been hanging out way too much with Kitty.   
  
Yeah, that was it.  
  
"Roguie?" Remy was holding her. Okay, that was probably why she'd been dreaming it.   
  
"Ugh... get your hands offa me, Cajun." She pulled away, but he held fast. Not that she really minded, but yanno, she had a reputation to maintain.   
  
"Rogue, when Kurt walked in here earlier, he saw you touching Remy."  
  
"Wh--?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was several hours later and dozens of tests later when Professor Xavier and Hank concluded that something had triggered Rogue's ability to control her powers when Professor Xavier had cleared her mind of all the other residue psyches.   
  
Kurt and Remy stayed after everyone else had left. Kurt looked like he wanted to say something... maybe tell Remy to get lost. But, he kept his mouth shut as he handed Rogue the quilt he'd been holding fore nearly all day. He ported out after kissing Rogue's cheek.  
  
Remy sat up on the bed with her, sliding one hand across her waist. "Jus' you an' me... all alone, neh?"  
  
"Don't get any ideas, Boy." She said smiling a little too sweetly at him. She moved a bit closer to him.   
  
"An' what kind of ideas would I be gettin', Chere?"  
  
"Hummm, Ah dunno. Somethin' perverse, Ah'm sure."  
  
"Trust me, Rogue, none of de thoughts I'm havin' about you are perverse in any way." Remy's free hand skimmed over her cheek and down her face and neck. He pulled her closer to him. Rogue could feel his breath on hers.   
  
The door squeaked a little when someone entered. Rogue titled her head to see who it was that had entered.  
  
Rogue felt her face burn red-hot when she saw it was Scott who had entered the room. She pulled herself roughly from Remy's arms. Scott looked so hurt it ate at Rogue. He stood there for another second before turning and rushing out of the room. Rogue's bottom lip quivered.   
  
Remy stood abruptly. He looked so very angry. "So, what, y'like him?"  
  
"No!" She faltered. "Yes. Remy, he was the first person that actually seemed to care anything about me after Ah got my powers. Everyone else tiptoed around me... or was just flat out mean. The only other person Ah've ever really been as close to as Scott is Logan. Do you want me ta say Ah don't care about him? Ah'd be lying. But Ah can tell you that Ah care about him the same way Ah care about Logan. It's nothin' like what you're thinkin'."   
  
Remy turned away from her. "It's funny dat I never really cared 'bout any femme 'til I laid my eyes on you. It scares me, Petite. I don' wanna be second fiddle t'anyone in votre coeur. I wouldn' be able t'live wit' dat."  
  
"You could of killed me that day." He started to speak, but she stopped him. "My whole entire being just froze at the sight of you... Ah'd of been dead. Dontcha get it? Remy, Ah wouldn't of been ready ta have my first make out session with you if you mean nothin' ta me...." She climbed out of the bed and moved so she stood in front of him. Her hand cradled his cheek gently. "... if Ah didn't really care about you."   
  
Their tender little moment was broken by a very staged cough from Hank, who stood in the doorway. He wore an ill-fitting Santa suit.   
  
"Nice outfit." Rogue said, hastily jumping back into bed. Hank had been on her case every single time she'd gotten out of bed... even when it was simply to answer the call of nature.   
  
"Uh... well..." He smiled a toothy grin. "It's the holiday spirit in me."  
  
"Looks like y'ate de holiday spirit." Remy commented under his breath so Hank wouldn't hear him.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothin'." Remy sat on the edge of the bed, taking Rogues hand in his.   
  
"Well, my dear Rogue, as your doctor, I've decided to prescribe you a night out of this room to join the rest of us for the Christmas Eve festivities."  
  
"Ah can get outta bed?" She asked excitedly.   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yippee!" She shouted, then blushed. "Sorry... just been cooped up for a really long time."  
  
"Though, I do suggest you take it easy, my dear. I don't want you exerting yourself too much."  
  
"All right, Dr. McCoy."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Remy had waited impatiently outside Rogue's bedroom as she dressed "inta somethin' more appropriate."   
  
He must of been crazy, thinking he'd get to spend any decent amount of time alone with her. Oh well. He got the feeling he'd get plenty of her time and attention in the future.   
  
When she'd walked out, she looked spectacular. The long black dress she wore was slit from the upper thigh down, showing a good deal of skin. In fact, that seemed to be the theme of the outfit. The neckline was very low and the dress only had thin straps. Much of her pale skin was exposed.   
  
They'd walked into the den, where everyone hugged and kissed her. They all seemed so happy for her. And, she seemed to glow with happiness.   
  
She held onto his arm most of the night. She was still very weak from having spent almost two weeks on bed rest.   
  
They were heading out to the balcony when they heard giggles behind them. "What?" Rogue turned to face them, glaring hard.  
  
Kitty managed to stop giggling enough to point up. Remy grinned widely.   
  
They were standing under the mistletoe.  
  
"Uh..." Rogue's face was bright red.   
  
"C'mere, Rogue." Remy pulled her tight against him. "Can't say no t'tradition, can you?"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
Grinning still, Remy pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Rogue's body practically melted into his. The X-Men cheered and made rude little comments as their kiss deepened and went on for an eternity.   
  
And they all lived happily ever after. :)  
  
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Years! 


End file.
